Faculty
Faculty
Chair of Game Development
Thomas Olson
Game Development, Game Design MFA '18 Thomas Olson grew up in the mountains of Southern California, spending many summer days in Newport Beach whenever possible. Laguna's Sawdust Festival and Festival of the Arts were an inspiration, and he is thrilled to now be part of the art tradition of Orange County as the Dean of…
Associate Professor
Amanda Fisher
Amanda Fisher is a graduate from Laguna College of Art & Design with an emphasis in 3D art for games. Amanda has worked as a 2D and 3D freelance artist for over 10 years, working with both teams and individual clients creating character concepts and illustrations, as well as assets and characters for games. Amanda…
Adjunct Faculty
Noah Alonzo
Adjunct Faculty
Daniel Alpert
Daniel Alpert has worked in the game industry for over two decades, shaping worlds and characters that define memorable RPG experiences. Currently serving as Art Director at Obsidian Entertainment, he recently led the visual direction for The Outer Worlds and its sequel, bringing distinctive style and personality to these acclaimed titles. Starting as a concept…
Adjunct Faculty
Lauren Benavides
Lauren graduated from the Animation Major at Laguna College of Art + Design with a Bachelor's Degree of Fine Art in Animation. She specializes in 2D character and environment design, 2D and 3D animation, and visual development and storytelling. She has experience as a freelance artist for over 10 years, and as an art lead…
Adjunct Faculty
Ehren Bienert
Adjunct Faculty
Ehsan Bigloo
Ehsan Bigloo has been a Sr. Character and Creature Designer/Developer in the entertainment industry for 10 years. He resides in Los Angeles, California. He is an active member of Local 800 (ADG) IATSE. He comes from a figurative traditional art background with a bit of practical effects, and also digital artworks. He is focused on…
Adjunct Faculty
Christopher Cantwell
Chris studied quantum computing, and high performance computing, at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, B.S. in Physics, and a M.S. in Physics. During his studies, he came to believe that the reason quantum phenomena seem confusing is that we don't interact with it, at least on…
Adjunct Faculty
Dan Carreker
Dan Carreker has over 10 years of teaching experience in game arts and sciences. He has industry experience as both a Database Manager for Activision's Production/QA department and as a freelance Game Designer and Programmer. He has worked on over 80 different commercial products; his credits include Medieval: Total War, Star Trek: Armada, and Pizza…
Adjunct Faculty
Travis Castillo
Adjunct Faculty
Adriana Catarino
Adriana Catarino is a contemporary artist who uses multiple mediums to encourage others to think about gaming in a narrative and explorative manner. She focuses her professional time as a Lighting & Technical Artist, and spends a lot of her personal time painting. She is fascinated by technology's potential in creating immersive experiences that evoke…
Adjunct Faculty
Hugh Trombley
Hugh is currently working as a Material Artist at Playstation Studios Visual Arts, a Sony Playstation team dedicated to developing and supporting First Party studios across the Playstation Studio network. He has worked on numerous environments on various AAA productions and projects for over 8 years. He's worked on titles such as Naughty Dog's The…
Adjunct Faculty
Daniel Cuatt
Dan Cuatt is an environment artist working in games, currently at Unbroken Studios. He’s been making things since he was old enough to wield scissors and tape and paper -- which are still his preferred medium to work in when the computers are down! He draws a straight line from his upbringing surrounded by a…
Adjunct Faculty
Anh Dang
Adjunct Faculty
Aurelian Danglejan
Adjunct Faculty
Casey Dockendorf
Casey Dockendorf is a creative professional with nearly 20 years of experience, whose love of reading comics, playing video games, and collecting action figures fostered a love of the creative development process. Over the course of Casey's career he has had the opportunity to release titles on major publishing platforms (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo), and…
Adjunct Faculty
Giselle Dougan Santos
Giselle is a game developer who focuses on UI design and programming. Currently working in the XR industry and wireless industry, she strives to create content that inspires the next generation of engineers and designers. She is committed to promoting mental health awareness and support, as well as uplifting marginalized voices.
Adjunct Faculty
Kari Dunham
Kari Dunham is originally from the Pacific Northwest. She now calls Orange County home, and serves as an adjunct in the Game Art Department at Laguna College of Art + Design. Additionally, she teaches at Biola University, Concordia University Irvine, and Irvine Valley College and earned her master’s degree from Laguna College of Art +…
Adjunct Faculty
Ariel Fain
With over 10 years of experience at Blizzard Entertainment, Ariel served as a core artist in creating memorable in game character assets for World of Warcraft, taking the role as a forefront for new, innovative content and thriving within a cross-disciplinary team-oriented environment in a variety of leadership roles. She's been employing her skills in…
Adjunct Faculty
Omar Field-Rahman
Adjunct Faculty
Justin Fields
Justin “Goby” Fields is a creative director, concept artist, and illustrator for Feature Films, Video Games, and the Broadcast Industry. As a freelance concept artist, Justin has created design content and illustrations for Jupiter Ascending, Maleficent, Noah, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Marvel’s Spider-man PS4, Bright, Falling Skies, The New Mutants, League of…
Adjunct Faculty
Kelly Gilley
Kelly recently graduated from Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD) with a BFA in Game Art, and has worked in the games industry as a 3D artist since, on projects both photorealistic and stylized. She finds joy not only in teaching others industry-relevant skills and techniques, but also in guiding them to find their…
Adjunct Faculty
Alexander Gonzalez
Alexander Gonzalez is passionate about creating interactive settings and worlds as a Game Artist. He is currently an Environment Artist at High Moon Studios and an adjunct professor for LCAD Game Art. At High Moon Studios, Alexander is responsible for creating maps for the Call of Duty franchise. Along with his experience on Call of…
Adjunct Faculty
Nicholas Harvey
Adjunct Faculty
Bobby Hernandez
Adjunct Faculty
Ishmael Hoover
Adjunct Faculty
Jacqueline Jocson
Jax is an Art Director and Concept Artist with 15+ years of experience in the Entertainment Industry, specializing in design and storytelling for film, games, TV, and IP creation. She has worked with clients such as Apple, Fortnite, Capcom, MachineZone, Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment, SyFy Channel, Digital Domain, Wizards of the Coast, Super Evil Megacorp,…
Adjunct Faculty
Eli Joteva
Eli Joteva (b.1990) is a Bulgarian intermedia artist, researcher and educator. Joteva has exhibited internationally across Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia including at Ars Electronica, Linz; Noor Riyadh, Riyadh; Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede; Fosun Foundation, Shanghai, and the Queensland Centre for Photography, Newstead. She has been a resident artist at STEAM Imaging…
Adjunct Faculty
Kyle Kane
Adjunct Faculty
Sebastian Kings
Sebastian Kings is a concept artist who specializes in environment, transportation, and prop design. An Orange County native, he was the first graduate from the Digital Media conservatory at the Orange County High School of the Arts and received his BFA in Game Art from LCAD in 2018. He strives to create designs that are…
Adjunct Faculty
Alexander Lee
Alexander Lee is a sculptor, animator, and technical artist with over a decade of experience in the game and visual effects industries. He has contributed to projects for leading companies like Apple, Survios, and Pure Imagination, including video games like Alien: Rogue Incursion, Alien: Descent, The Walking Dead, and Creed. Alexander has demonstrated his ZBrush…
Department Chair
Joseph Todorovitch
Joseph Michael Todorovitch is a figurative artist in the Los Angeles area with an undivided curiosity for the academic traditions and the conceptual possibilities that proliferate the modern art world. He explores the craft with a naturalist's lens, employing rich technical details and implied psychological narratives in his paintings. Awarded the Draper Grand Prize by…
Interim Chair of Entertainment Design
Glen Miller
Glen David Miller, BFA, MFA, began his career in the early 90's. He has worked over the years creating and supervising award-winning CGI for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Imagining (seaQuest, Star Trek Voyager), Digital Domain (James Cameron's Titanic), Marvel/Seban (Silver Surfer and Captain America), DNA/Nickelodeon (Jimmy Neutron), was a founder of Station X Studios (Dogma, Hunley),…
Chair of Entertainment Design
Todd Smith
Todd Smith is a seasoned artist who has worked as a concept illustrator and fine artist since 1998. He has worked in film and television in addition to showing his work in galleries. Todd studied Art History at UCLA, Drawing and Painting at Claremont Graduate University, and Entertainment Design at Art Center College of Design.
Adjunct Faculty
Wesley Lin
Wesley Lin has been an adjunct professor at LCAD for nearly two years. A concept artist and storyboard artist with 10 years of experience, he graduated from LCAD's Game Art program in 2015. His professional work includes concept art for mobile games, an internship at Walt Disney Animation, and illustration for cards. When he's not…
Department Chair of Illustration
John F. Malta
John F. Malta is the Chair of the undergraduate Illustration Department where he teaches courses at all levels. John's professional practice as an artist explores the convergence of illustration, comic art, installation, and design. For over a decade he has operated a professional studio working with clients such as The New York Times, Magic the…
Chair of Liberal Arts
Norman Leonard
Norman Leonard is an educator and writer with a diverse academic background, holding a B.A. in English with a Creative Writing Option from California State University, Long Beach, an M.A. in English from the same institution, and an MFA in Film: Screenwriting from Chapman University. When not teaching, Norman is a prolific writer, having published…
Chair of MFA Drawing + Painting
Peter Zokosky
Peter Zokosky was born into an artistic family where creativity and independent thinking were encouraged. He has been painting and drawing since his earliest memories. After receiving his MFA from Otis Parsons in 1981 he apprenticed under art restorer/conservator Richard Saar for six years. He has been working and exhibiting internationally for over 40 years.…
Adjunct Faculty
Juan Garrido
Juan Garrido is a Digital and Traditional painter with 14 years of experience working with various Animation Studios in Los Angeles as a BG Painter for many TV animated series. Clients include Disney, Netflix, Warner Brothers and many more. When he isn’t painting at the computer desk, he can be found traveling and painting Plein…
Adjunct Faculty
Nadine Malan
Nadine Malan is a 3D Character Artist specializing in garment creation for games. They most recently contributed to the Star Wars Jedi team at Respawn Entertainment. Their passion for the game industry's future drives them to explore innovative techniques and share knowledge and insights with fellow creatives. They are also an alumni of LCAD, having…
Chair of Art History
Marcella Stockstill
Marcella Stockstill is Associate Professor and Co-Chair, Liberal Arts + Art History. Her research and teaching explore the interconnected histories of the visual arts and sciences from the 15th to 17th centuries. After completing her undergraduate studies at UC Irvine, Marcella earned her MA in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel…
Adjunct Faculty
Susan King
A painter with interest in critical theory and modernism, Susan King received her MFA from USC. A professor of both art studio and art history, she also earned an MA in Art History at UC, Riverside and a PhD in Visual Studies at UC, Irvine. Her art historical thesis focused on the reception of German…
Associate Professor
Brittany Ryan
Brittany Ryan is a Southern California-based contemporary figurative sculptor. She received her formal education at the Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD), graduating in 2005 with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Sculpture, followed by an MFA in drawing and painting in 2010. Since 2014, she has given back to her alma…
Adjunct Faculty
Kyle Neswald
Kyle Neswald has over 20 years in the animation studio system, with credits ranging from directing to writing to storyboarding to designing and animating. Animation is the greatest art form ever created, and he's not shy about sharing his love for it.
Mentor
Seth Marinello
Seth Marinello is currently a Principal Designer at Double Fine Productions where he led design on Psychonauts 2 and serves as an Adjunct Professor of video game development classes at LCAD. He previously worked at EA Visceral Games on titles such as Dead Space 2, Dead Space 3 and Battlefield 4. Additionally he has been…
Adjunct Faculty
Rachelle Chuang
Adjunct Faculty
Mason Williams
Mason Williams (b. 1995) is a passionate landscape painter and teacher from Carmel, California. A haven for plein air painting, Williams' birthplace became instrumental in his journey as an artist. He received his BA in Studio Art from Principia College in 2017, but it wasn't until after he attended a summer artist residency at Otis…
Adjunct Faculty
John Brosio
John Brosio was born in 1967 in Pasadena, California. He has been drawing for as long as he can remember and those earliest scribbles depict much of the same "off center" subject matter that concerns him today. Apart from various travels his life has been based in either Southern California where he was raised or…
Adjunct Faculty
Kristin Donner
Kristin Donner is a Los Angeles-based artist, educator, and 17 year veteran of the animation industry. Her portfolio includes creative work for Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Warner Bros. Animation, and Cartoon Network. Her screen credits include color design on the 2D animated series Harley Quinn (Warner Bros.) and The Fungies! (Cartoon Network), as well as background…
Adjunct Faculty
Michael Dietz
Artist/Animator Mike Dietz has extensive experience as an animation director, animator, illustrator, and art director in film, television, games, and location-based entertainment, with proficiency in a variety of animation techniques including CG, stop motion, hand-drawn (both digital and pencil-on-paper), and motion graphics. Early in his career, Mike pioneered innovative animation processes that allowed hand-drawn animation…
Adjunct Faculty
Dean May
Dean May is a game developer and technical artist with a broad range of industry experience. He is the Lead Technical Artist at Aquifer Motion and an adjunct instructor for the LCAD Game Art program. At Aquifer Motion, Dean optimizes television CG assets for Unity, and uses the engine tools to create convincing environments for…
Adjunct Faculty
Bonnie Blackburn
Adjunct Faculty
Jason Dowd
Jason Dowd has been a professional freelance illustrator and fine artist for over thirty years. His clients include Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, UCI, Anheuser-Busch, and Chase Bank, among others. Most recently, he has completed sixty full color illustrations for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which will appear in 2025 for the 125th anniversary. In 2019,…
Adjunct Faculty
Taber Dunipace
Taber Dunipace is a southern California production artist and educator specializing in 3D art and animation. He has taught a wide range of subjects for more than 10 years, including 3D modeling, 3D character animation, rigging, 2D digital animation, digital painting, and game design. He also frequently does freelance work for both commercial animation and…
Adjunct Faculty
Brad McBrearty
Brad McBrearty is a creative leader with a background in Technical Art, serving in leadership roles across the video game industry for over 15 years. His past experience includes leading diverse projects spanning cutting edge mobile development, Web3 platform efforts, and traditional AAA game development from ideation to live support. He is renowned for collaborative…
Adjunct Faculty
Josh Freydkis
Josh Freydkis is an award winning illustrator and creative director based in Los Angeles. Select clients include Apple, Google, Liquid Death, Adult Swim, MTV, GIPHY, MillerCoors, Fools Gold Records, Interscope Records, Bloomberg Businessweek, Ford, The New York Times, Vans, Rebel 8, and Facebook.
Adjunct Faculty
Kimberly Bowcutt
Kimberly Bowcutt, MFA Creative Writing (Chapman University), is a writer, educator, and developmental editor with a distinguished background in creative writing, narrative nonfiction, and research. She has taught at several institutions, bringing her love of language and storytelling to each course. In the classroom, she cultivates an environment where students discover their authentic voices while…
Adjunct Faculty
Aleah Chapin
Aleah Chapin (b. 1986 Whidbey Island, WA) is a painter whose direct portrayals of the human form have expanded the conversation around western culture’s representations of the body in art. She has exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the world, including Flowers Gallery (New York, London, Hong Kong), The Belvedere Museum (Vienna), Cascadia Art…
Adjunct Faculty
Vee Peony
Vee Peony is a 2D animator and character designer from the South Bay Area. She recently graduated from LCAD with a BFA in Experimental Animation, and is currently developing her own animated series while working as a freelance artist.
Adjunct Faculty
Christina Brubaker
Christina Brubaker was married with two small children when her husband's job relocated them to Brooklyn, NY. For him, a native Californian, the change was a bit of a shock, but since Christina was born in Queens and lived on Long Island until she was nine, the move felt more like going home. She decided…
Adjunct Faculty
Averi Endow
Averi Endow is a painter from Southern California. He received his Bachelorʼs degree in Drawing + Painting from Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD) in 2012 where he was a recipient of the Weingart Foundation grant of the West Coast. His work can be found in the permanent collection at LCAD and in the…
Adjunct Faculty
Bobby Sassone
Robert (Bobby) Sassone is a traditional animator and story artist from Cypress, CA. During his college years he workedas a concept artist for See Here Studios, a Bay Area production company owned by Pixar Alum Valerie Mih. He graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2016 with a BA in Creative Media, and…
Adjunct Faculty
Natalia Fabia
Adjunct Faculty
Tayler Olivas
Adjunct Faculty
Matthew James-Wilson
Matthew James-Wilson is the founder of Heavy Manners Library, an art space in Los Angeles’ Echo Park. From 2012 to 2018, he ran the online art magazine FORGE. James-Wilson has curated art exhibits, worked for various independent record labels, and written for publications including Pitchfork and VICE. Matthew James-Wilson was born in Toronto, CA and…
Adjunct Faculty
Keith Ellis
Keith has a passion for mathematics and making it accessible for everyone--even those who have previously had bad experiences with it. He is also an advocate for the arts. Professionally, he has years of experience as a technology leader creating business plans, managing budgets and companies. He has taught in business settings and at the…
Adjunct Faculty
Champman Hamborg
Chapman Hamborg’s paintings and sculptures vary from still life, landscapes, and figurative work. His primary body of work captures interactions between his wife and children—related to birth, breastfeeding, fatherhood, and motherhood. Chapman was born in Huntington Beach, California, in 1992. Chapman graduated from Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy, and earned his BFA and…
Adjunct Faculty
Enya Oreshkin
Enya Oreshkin is a passionate 3D Artist who specializes in Environments and Props. She moved to SoCal from New Jersey following her dream to work in the game industry. She graduated from LCAD and is currently working at Blizzard Entertainment as an Associate Environment Artist on Overwatch 2.
Adjunct Faculty
Quinne Larsen
Quinne Larsen is a Chinook cartoonist living in Los Angeles. They've worked as a storyboard artist for Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network, and Netflix, among others. They were a 2023 Sundance Native Labs fellow. They're currently completing an original graphic novel for First Second Publishing.
Adjunct Faculty
Chris Engel
Chris Engel has been employed as a professional Industrial Designer for 25 years and counting. He is currently employed at Titleist Golf in Carlsbad, CA as an Advanced Senior Industrial Designer. His job at Titleist is to create design concept sketches and renderings that help sell his ideas. He holds a BFA degree from the…
Adjunct Faculty
Kayla Janes
Kayla Janes is a fine artist located in Laguna Beach, CA. Janes received both her Bachelor's degree and Master's degree from Laguna College of Art and Design. From growing up along the California coast, Janes's artwork reflects her nostalgic love of the world around her. Sun drenched scenes of familiar people or places inspire Janes's…
Adjunct Faculty
Douglas Rogers
Douglas R. Rogers is a creative designer with a wide range of experience spanning multiple disciplines of visual, graphic and entertainment design. A career that started in graphic design evolved when Doug became fascinated by the power of design in storytelling. That interest led him to an MFA in Scenic Design from the Yale University…
Adjunct Faculty
Kristen Liu-Wong
Born and raised in San Francisco, Kristen Liu-Wong attended Pratt Institute where she graduated with a BFA in Illustration. She has shown extensively in numerous galleries both domestically and abroad and in addition to her gallery practice, she has worked with an extensive range of clients on projects ranging from murals to editorial illustrations to…
Adjunct Faculty
Ben Garceau
Ben Garceau has taught at multiple universities in the United States and abroad, including Indiana University, the University of Paris X Nanterre, and the University of California, Irvine. He has published research on Old English poetry, Seamus Heaney, and Jorge Luis Borges. As an academic, his research specializes in the cultures and contexts of late…
Adjunct Faculty
Rupinder Kaloti
Rupy Kaloti is a multimedia artist and instructor born in San Jose, California. She is currently based in Los Angeles, California. She primarily works with oil paint to create traditional and 3D works fusing elements from her Indian heritage and American upbringing.
Adjunct Faculty
Javier Perez
With 15 years of experience, Javier is currently a Lead Material Artist at PlayStation Studios Visual Arts. Throughout his career, he has worked at studios such as Infinity Ward, Kojima Productions, and Sony Online Entertainment. Beyond his professional work, Javier shares his passion for Substance Designer by teaching at Laguna College of Art and Design…
Adjunct Faculty
Mark Pacella
Mark Pacella has been drawing for the communication arts since the age of 9. Working in publishing as an Editorial illustrator for clients such as The New York Times, The National Law Journal, Notre Dame Magazine etc, he eventually went on to work at Heavy Metal magazine/Marvel comics/DC and Image comics etc. Tired of shoveling…
Adjunct Faculty
Ashton Haugen
Ashton Haugen is a voice talent, actor, teacher and coach from the greater Los Angeles area. She is currently a working voice actor and acting coach and is represented by Trailer Voice Artists. Ashton has worked for the past 20+ years to expand her skills as an actor and voice talent by studying and taking…
Adjunct Faculty
Ryan Darling
My career has focused on developing and refining my skills for creating highly detailed models and textures for medical 3D illustrations and animations. I have built my skill set as an artist from a traditional foundation into a network of mentors embedded in the entertainment industry. The education I receive from them is celebrated daily…
Adjunct Faculty
Daniel Platt
Adjunct Faculty
Christopher Ramsey
Christopher Ramsey is currently based in Orange County. He works with both Illustration and Fine Art techniques in his professional work. Christopher is passionate about figurative and landscape works and uses these elements in his paintings and illustration. His recent works include a Second Place award for the Tustin Plein-air Competition in October 2023.
Adjunct Faculty
Sunkyung Kim
Sunkyung Kim (B.A., M.A., Seoul National University, Korea; Ph.D., Duke University) specializes in the history of religious art, focusing on Buddhist sculpture, ritual space, mortuary practices, and the visual culture of medieval China and Korea. Before joining LCAD as faculty, she was an Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow and taught at the University of Southern…
Adjunct Faculty
Lou Police
Graduated Art Center College of Design LA/Pasadena in 1978 with a BFA in Illustration. Most influential instructors: Harry Carmean, Gregory Weir-Quiton, Vern Wilson, Kathy Wirch, Ward Kimball, Herb Ryman and John Asaro. Freelance illustration assignments include movie poster designs, book illustration, magazine illustration, advertising storyboarding and comps, fashion illustration, matte painting, and live action production…
Adjunct Faculty
Jamie Stark
Jamie Stark is a design and branding consultant. A native New Yorker, Jamie holds a BA from Fordham University and studied fine art at The Art Students League of NY. Jamie worked at a number of design studios and advertising agencies in NYC. Ultimately, he founded his own firm with offices in NYC and NJ…
Department Chair Animation
Eric Walls
Eric Walls has had a career in animation for over 30 years, with an extensive and versatile background in both traditional hand-drawn and CG animation for animated & live-action film and theme park attractions. His animation has been featured in many projects for Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Brothers, including The Lion King, The Prince of…
Adjunct Faculty
Ryanne Phillips
Adjunct Faculty
Maria Ferreira Kercher
Maria Ferreira Kercher is a visual development artist specialized in material behavior and cultural stylization for animation. She is a professional Costume Designer and an adjunct professor for LCAD Game Art and Entertainment Design programs. Her expertise is featured in the book, "Talking Threads: Costume Design for Animation, Games, and Illustration", through Design Studio Press.…
Adjunct Faculty
Patrick Raines
PJ Raines is a 16-year veteran of the entertainment industry. Disney Animation Studios, Warner Bros Animation, Obsidian Entertainment, and Jam City are among his credits. He is a 9-year adjunct professor at LCAD. He is currently a Principal Artist at Zynga. PJ is based in California.
Adjunct Faculty
Nicole Lima-Hartshorn
Nicole Lima-Hartshorn is an art historian and independent scholar of Roman art with a sub-specialization in Global Arts. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California and California State University Long Beach, and received additional art history training at California State University Fullerton. Nicole has over 16 years of University and College teaching…
Adjunct Faculty
Jerry Beck
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, was instrumental in launching Animation Magazine, co-founded Cartoon Brew and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and blu-ray compilations…
Adjunct Faculty
Christian Ramirez
Christian Ramirez is a first-generation Mexican-American artist born and raised in San Gabriel Valley, CA. Ramirez completed his MFA at Michigan State University as a University Enrichment Fellow in 2023. His studio practice explores the possibilities of constructing a system of working as an arena for social and political anxiety. Informed by his mestizo hybrid…
Adjunct Faculty
Martin Kline
Marty Kline has been in the business of creating what no one has ever seen before since pixels were this big. As the recipient of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award for Illustration from his own Local 800, the Art Directors Guild, he has worked in motion pictures, television, video games and themed entertainment for over…
Adjunct Faculty
Brandon Ray
Brandon works at Blizzard Entertainment as an associate 3D Environment Artist working on the game World of Warcraft. He is passionate about the hand-painted style of games and specializes in 3D hand-painted environments. He was featured on the Games Artist website for his piece "Adventure Inn." He is also a fellow alumnus of LCAD and…
Adjunct Faculty
Loveis Wise
Loveis Wise (they/them) is a Los Angeles based multidisciplinary artist, lecturer, and land steward from Washington, DC. Much of their work and living practice has a focus on creating worlds that encapsulate what it means to re-imagine our futures through playfulness, liberation, and community building. This exploration of their praxis comes from a goal of…
Adjunct Faculty
Dani Michaeli
Dani Michaeli's first staff writing job was for "South Park" in 2004, followed by five years writing for "SpongeBob SquarePants." After "SpongeBob," Dani became a story editor/head writer on shows such as "The Aquabats Super Show!", "Harvey Beaks," "Little Big Awesome" and "The Mighty Ones," which Dani also helped to develop. Simultaneously, beginning in 2015,…
Adjunct Faculty
Rachel Bibb
Rachel Bibb has 30 years of experience in the animation industry, primarily working for Walt Disney Animation studios in Florida and Burbank. Her first credit was the original Lion King as a cleanup inbetweener. She worked up the ranks on Pocahontas, Tarzan, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch and Brother Bear, culminating with supervising her first princess,…
Adjunct Faculty
Olivia Stude
Olivia Stude is a contemporary oil painter who creates allegorical narrative scenes that address themes of identity and religion in outdoor settings. Olivia exhibits her paintings in galleries in California and Louisiana. She received her BFA and MFA from Laguna College of Art and Design. Olivia has taught kids and teens at multiple art studios…
Adjunct Faculty
John Lam
John Lam is an alumnus of Laguna College of Art and Design where he found his passion for game art and began his roots in 3D sculpting. With a passion for creating creatures and characters, he specializes in high fidelity 3D sculpting for a variety of industry pipelines from: toys, 3D scan and game. After…
Adjunct Faculty
Gavin Rich
Adjunct Faculty
Mark Zoeller
Mark Zoeller is a veteran entertainment industry artist who has a long affiliation with film and television, being awarded two Emmy Awards in Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Storyboarding. He's worked for all the major studios, Warner Bros., Disney, DreamWorks SKG, Fox, Marvel, and Technicolor to name a few. During his time at LCAD, Mark has…
Adjunct Faculty
Luis Morales
Luis Emilio Morales is an adjunct lecturer and researcher with more than six years' worth of combined research and teaching experience at the secondary and university level. He holds two advanced degrees, one in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (MA), and the other in qualitative sociological research (MPhil). While a student at the University…
Adjunct Faculty
Rebecca Carmickle
Beckett Mikel is a traditional 2D animation Laguna College of Art and Design alum and has returned to the school to teach animation. With much of her previous work focusing on illustration through providing work for charities, band posters, logos, and the like, since graduating college, she has utilized the teachings to shift her work…
Adjunct Faculty
Thadius Taylor
Adjunct Faculty
Bernard Lee
Bernard Lee was born and raised in Southern California, graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Syracuse University and worked for a time in New York City. As a former Art Director, he has had the privilege of collaborating with countless talented illustrators on award-winning projects. He now spends his days creating illustrations for the…
Adjunct Faculty
Michael Rocchio
Michael Rocchio is an architectural historian and an archaeologist. Michael has undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Classical Civilizations from Indiana University, a graduate degree in Greek and Roman Archaeology and another graduate degree in Architecture and Urban Design from UCLA. Michael's main areas of research are Roman urban infrastructure and his particular area of expertise…
Adjunct Faculty
Xavier Coton
I was born in France, and it is where I started my career as a traditional animator. I moved to California in 2000 and transitioned to 3D animation. I have been animating in the game and vfx industry for various studios such as Playstation, MPC, Framestore, Blur Studio and Weta Fx. My style ranges from…
Adjunct Faculty
Agostino Vaccaro
Adjunct Faculty
Brett Mitchell
Brett Mitchell is an accomplished artist and designer, specializing in character design and illustration. He is currently an Art Director in the mobile game market and an adjunct professor in the Entertainment and Game Design programs at LCAD. Brett obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree at LCAD in 2009 and has been a part of…
Adjunct Faculty
Zoe Smith
Zoe is a 3D Character artist currently working at Obsidian Entertainment on Avowed. Some of her past titles include Star Wars: The Old Republic, Breach, and The Outer Worlds DLCs. She graduated from Laguna College of Art + Design in 2017, with a BFA in Game Art, and has been working in the industry since.
Adjunct Faculty
Maxwell Murphey
Max Murphey is a teacher and researcher working in philosophy, mathematics, logic, and other related areas. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and mathematics from Columbia University and a doctorate in Philosophy from University of California, Riverside (UCR). Since 2015, Max has been teaching middle-school and high-school math classes at ACI Institute in Rowland…
Adjunct Faculty
David Mucci Fassett
Mucci Fassett has worked in the animation industry for 30 years as Director, storyboard artist, and as a visual development artist. MucciÕs sensibilities tend toward humor mixed with meaningful emotional storytelling and gravitas. With his vast experience and artistic virtue, Mucci will lead storytellers and artists into creating stylish and visually compelling worlds. Students will…
Adjunct Faculty
David Van Patten
Dave Van Patten is a muralist and illustrator from Long Beach CA, best known for his playful imagery and humorous tone. As a freelancer, Dave has worked with Warner Music Group/ Rhino Records, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Yeti, NPR, Hollywood Reporter, Liquid Death, and various local businesses. In 2023 Van Patten won a…
Adjunct Faculty
Robert Stacy
Adjunct Faculty
Gwendolyn Oxenham
Gwendolyn Oxenham is a writer, teacher, and producer. Her new audio docuseries, HUSTLE RULE, hosted by Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham, features the untold stories of women's soccer players, and is based on her book Under the Lights and in the Dark. She also wrote Finding the Game: Three Years, Twenty-Five Countries and the Search for…
Adjunct Faculty
Casey Follen
Adjunct Faculty
Alejandro Buchner
Alejandro Buchner was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina where his passion and career in the visual arts began. Alejandro studied fine arts at the University of Bellas Artes and trained privately with artist Fernando Arranz. Alejandro has worked as a digital artist developing concepts for animated commercials and advertisements and has worked in concept design…
Adjunct Faculty
Michael Overman
Michael Overman is an accomplished Creative Director, Art Director and Show Designer with 15 years of experience in Themed Entertainment. As a graduate of Art Center College of Design with a BFA in Illustration with emphasis in Entertainment Design. I demonstrate a passion to create astounding attractions, places and experiences. I strive to lead design…
Adjunct Faculty
Nicole Tan
As an artist, it was always Nicole's dream to create worlds and immersive experiences. Games happened to be the perfect medium for her, and has been her passion since starting her education at LCAD. After graduating from LCAD, Nicole started working as an environment artist at Crystal Dynamics on the Tomb Raider reboot games, as…
Adjunct Faculty
Kimberly Parkan
Kimberly is an inquisitive and driven Physical Therapist in the outpatient orthopedic setting with an emphasis on manual therapy treatment. She is a Physical Therapist and an adjunct professor for LCAD, teaching Scientific Anatomy. She has always been fascinated by the human body and all of its unique, dynamic intricacies, and she finds great pleasure…
Adjunct Faculty
Rachel Chang
Adjunct Faculty
Andrew Pena
Andrew Pena is a Background Designer at Warner Brothers by day and a plein air painter the rest of the time. He paints because it keeps him sane and it's his form of meditation. Whether it is a landscape, cityscape, or interior painting, he loves to focus on the light and shapes that give each…
Adjunct Faculty
Poe Tan
Poe Tan is a Professor, Instructor and Concept Designer, helping students and professionals realize their creative potential. Poe balances two roles professionally, alternating between concept artist with over 23 years in the animation field as a background and prop designer. Poe works tirelessly as a professor and instructor educating and mentoring college-level students at some…
Adjunct Faculty
Bryan Price
Adjunct Faculty
Matteo Di Ventra
Matteo Di Ventra is a contemporary painter who works in traditional and digital media. His work has been displayed in multiple galleries on the West Coast. He is currently teaching representational painting at Laguna College of Art and Design as well as other art academies in Orange County and Los Angeles. Matteo also works within…
Adjunct Faculty
Joseph Sanabria
Joseph Sanabria is a Senior Concept Artist and educator working in the entertainment industry. He has worked on numerous noteworthy projects including Skullmonkeys, Fallout New Vegas, and most recently Ashes of Creation. Joseph's career spans over two decades and he has worked with a number of studios: Rockstar Games, Obsidian Entertainment, Nexon, theMill NY and…
Adjunct Faculty
Ning Tang
Adjunct Faculty
Ariana Rizo
Ariana Rizo is an art historian with over 7 years of combined museum and teaching experience. She specializes in Modern and Contemporary Art, with a focus on Latin American and Latinx art production. She currently works as a Curatorial Research Assistant at the Getty Research Institute.
Adjunct Faculty
Kimberly Mendiola
Kim Diaz is a veteran talent leader with 20+ years of experience recruiting creative and technical talent across animation, VFX, games, and sound. She has held key recruiting leadership roles at Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound and 2K Games, contributing to iconic franchises including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Avengers,…
Adjunct Faculty
Matthew Duckett
Matt Duckett is a painter whose work examines the ghosts of tradition that inhabit our lifestyles, drawn from a deep involvement in the various places he’s lived, including Scandinavian cultural legacies in rural Wisconsin, the interplay of heritage and hardship in Irish immigrant communities in Chicago, and disaster-stricken refugee communities in the Philippines, investigating issues…
Adjunct Faculty
Andrew Tran
Andrew Dat Tran is a Laguna College of Art + Design Entertainment Design alum and works in games, film, and television. He has contributed to clients including Marvel, 343 Industries, Turtle Rock Studios, AMC Networks, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and more. Andrew currently works as a Background Painter at Titmouse Inc., as an adjunct professor…
Adjunct Faculty
Matthew Taylor
Matthew Taylor is an animation director and 3D artist. Currently, a technical animator and Houdini artist at international advertising studio FutureDeluxe, and adjunct professor for LCAD Game Art. Earlier in his career, in LA and London, he worked as head of character pipeline for video game commercials and animation director for design agencies. He holds…
Adjunct Faculty
Danielle Samuels
Danielle Samuels is a developmental psychologist, researcher, and educator. She earned her EdM from Harvard University (2012), and her PhD from the University of California Riverside (2018). While pursuing her doctorate, she lived in Laguna Beach and taught several courses at LCAD including Math, Science, & Art, Introduction to Psychology, and Critical Reasoning and Psychology…
Adjunct Faculty
Ana Meraz Perales
Ana Meraz graduated from LCAD with a BFA in Animation and has a versatile 7+ years' experience in cutting edge industry standard softwares for 2D and 3D animation. She has experience tutoring students at LCAD about the animation pipelines and softwares and has a high standard for her teaching methods. Her motto is "I am…
Adjunct Faculty
Renae Wang
Renae Wang is a California-based artist working in oil. Her subject matter focuses on nocturnal landscapes and non-places like gas stations, diners, and airports. Her work is characterized by exaggerated colors, vibrant artificial lights, and immersive compositions with first-person point of view. These nocturnal paintings explore the universal human condition of isolation, as well as…
Adjunct Faculty
Emmanuel Valdez
Emmanuel Valdez is an award-winning art director, game designer, artist, and educator with more than 30 years of experience in interactive entertainment across console, PC, mobile, and arcade development. He has held creative leadership positions at Visual Concepts/2K, High Moon Studios, Midway Home Entertainment, Daybreak Game Company, Machine Zone, and Appy Entertainment. As a co-founder…
Adjunct Faculty
Genevieve Scott
When Genevieve was nine, the things she liked best in the world were writing rambling stories, tennis lessons on Toronto's weather-cracked courts, and playing "school" with the kids across the street. In high school and college, Genenieve didn't write as much, played less, and studied more boring things. In 2005, she got an MSc in…
Adjunct Faculty
Henry Sato
Henry Sato is a veteran 3D Character Animator with over 30 years of experience bringing animated characters to life on the big screen. HeÕs worked at top studios including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sony Pictures Imageworks, contributing to beloved CG features like Wreck-It Ralph, Open Season, and SurfÕs Up. In addition to fully animated…
Adjunct Faculty
James Galindo
James Galindo (b. 1983) is a Southern California oil painter and a graduate of Laguna College of Art & Design's bachelor's and master's programs. He is currently represented by Dawson Cole Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA, where he exhibits three dimensional paintings on glass and acrylic. Notable commissions include paintings for the Nolet Distillery…
Adjunct Faculty
Kyle Valentin
Kyle graduated LCAD in 2016, since then he has worked on a short film rendered in Unity, Sonder. He helped create new Real Time VFX for SMITE, before moving to Riot Games to work on League of Legends. He currently works at Riot Games on VALORANT. His favorite games are Apex Legends, Final Fantasy XIV,…
Adjunct Faculty
Joshua Steadman
Josh Steadman is joining LCAD for his first year teaching the course Sketching for Entertainment Design. Previous to joining LCAD, Josh has spent nearly 23 years as a Set Designer, Concept Designer, Show Designer, Illustrator, Production Designer, and Creative Director, working in T.V., Theater, and Theme Park Design and Build. He has worked with numerous…
Adjunct Faculty
David Bittorf
Dave Bittorf has a BA degree from the University of Wisconsin, 17 years as a CG instructor with Platt College in San Diego, and an additional 3 years teaching for the Art Institute and the Digital Media Academy. In 2010 Dave was awarded "Teacher of the Year" and in 2012 he won a world-wide competition…
Adjunct Faculty
Emily Gordon
Emily Gordon has a BFA in Illustration and completed 7 years of private study with nationally known artist William Whitaker. Named as an Artist to Watch by Riviera magazine, her art has been juried into numerous exhibitions, including the prestigious ARC Salon held by the Art Renewal Center. She received her MFA in Painting from…
Adjunct Faculty
Patrick Ward
An alumnus of Otis College of Art and Design, Patrick is an Environment Artist in the videogame industry currently employed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sucker Punch Productions. He's worked at Xbox Game Studios, The Initiative and most recently a part of Santa Monica Studio's team on the upcoming God of War Ragnarok. He's excited…
Adjunct Faculty
Todd Uglow
Professor Uglow has a law degree from Western State University College of Law and a degree in Business Administration from Cal State San Bernardino. He has written employee handbooks and developed policies concerning sexual harassment for Fortune 500 companies, and has also been hired by organizations to develop policies and strategies designed to reduce premises…
Adjunct Faculty
Stephan Dube
Stephan Dube is a UX/UI and product designer, educator, and creative professional with more than 25 years of experience designing interactive experiences across video games, desktop software, VR, XR, console, PC, and mobile platforms. Throughout his career, he has contributed to projects and teams at companies including Ubisoft, Activision, Sony Online Entertainment, Wargaming, Survios, Ready…
Adjunct Faculty
John Dubiel
John Dubiel is a graduate of The California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Character Animation and extensive studies in the School of Theater, having previously studied Film and Animation at the Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts). He has several years of Animation Industry experience and has worked at…
Adjunct Faculty
Cody Jimenez
Working in the style of Imaginative Realism, Cody Jimenez constructs vivid and imagined universes. In these worlds, emotions take physical form, radiating vibrant colors into their surroundings. With animals, humans, and narrative composition, Jimenez delves into the dualities of beauty and danger, offering a deeply personal exploration of his own life experiences. Originally from New…
Adjunct Faculty
Nicholas Williams
Nick Williams is an LCAD alumni (2016) currently working as a 3D artist in the video game industry. He specializes in prop/environment modeling and texturing, with experience working in both AAA and indie studios for projects shipping on all platforms. He keeps up to date with the latest industry asset creation techniques both within and…
Adjunct Faculty
Noelle Volkmann
Noelle Volkmann graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Entertainment Art. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Art Education from California State University, Long Beach with an emphasis in creativity and play. Noelle brings her passion for and understanding of playful curriculum…
Adjunct Faculty
David Jaloza
Adjunct Faculty
Richard Ewing
Focusing on caricature and editorial Illustration Richard Ewing has been illustrating professionally since 1987. His black & white work is done in ink using a range of tools from various quill pens to brush; his color art is Acrylic, or Acrylic and Brush & Ink and various other media. His clients include: The Los Angeles…
Adjunct Faculty
Adam Matano
Adam Matano is a contemporary representational artist specializing in sculpture. His work is an organically evolving process combining a visceral reaction to life, his interest and admiration for the natural world and our relationship with it. The exploration of these ideas allows for psychologically dense, rhythmic artwork. Adam's interest and involvement with nature and the…
Adjunct Faculty
Damon Woods
Damon Woods has been a leading 3D Character Artist for the games, film, TV, and advertising industries. His work includes contributions to such titles as "Star Wars: Jedi Survivor," "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain," and "The Flash" TV series. Through the years, Damon has collaborated and art directed for many clients including Marvel…
Adjunct Faculty
Beth Oualline
Adjunct Faculty
Lisbeth Welch-Stamos
Lisbeth began her LCAD teaching career in 1987, but after taking a full-time high school teaching job and having a family, she stepped away from LCAD, returning in 2016 to an utterly reimagined campus and college. Lisbeth regularly teaches Language Arts 104 and 111. She earned a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and Magazine Journalism…
Adjunct Faculty
Rick Farmiloe
Rick Farmiloe has been animating childhoods for over 30 years, and is best known for breathing hilarity into iconic Disney sidekicks Scuttle, Lefou, and Abu in the beloved Academy Award winning films The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. During his 11 years at Disney, he animated on seven features and one short,…
Adjunct Faculty
Kelley Mogilka
Kelley Mogilka (b. 1995) is a figurative painter originally from Edmond, Oklahoma. After obtaining her BFA in Studio Art at Oklahoma City University in 2018, she attended a summer artist residency at Otis College of Art and Design that inspired her to relocate to California. Spending two years struggling as a working artist and taking…
Adjunct Faculty
Katlynn Woodward
After graduating from LCAD in 2022 from the Game Art program as a tutor and an intern at Visual Concepts 2K, I went on to work at 2K as a full-time environment artist. I then went on to work at Misfits Gaming Group as a 3D Artist and have been following a path of teaching.…
Adjunct Faculty
Chris Ulm
Adjunct Faculty
Peter Ferk
Peter Ferk is a 37 year veteran of the animation industry having worked with Disney, Discovery, Warner Bros. Film Roman, Universal, and Sony among others. Peter's career started with studies at the Ontario College of Fine Art in Toronto and Florence, Italy. His beginnings as a layout artist in Canada for "Teddy Ruxpin", Nightingale and…
Adjunct Faculty
Michael Obermeyer
Michael was presented with the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He recently won the Collector's Choice Award, Artist Choice Award and the Southwest Magazine Quick Draw Award at the Laguna Beach Invitational Plein Air Competition as well as the "Best of Show" at both the Kern County Plein Air Invitational…
Adjunct Faculty
Eric Young
As a child, Eric could always be found playing with his action figures, drawing, or making movies. When asked at a young age, ""What do you want to do when you grow up,"" there was only one answer: ""I want to make cartoons!"" Over the years Eric has had the privilege of working at studios…
Adjunct Faculty
Jeramy Zapotosky
Jeramy Zapotosky is a software engineer in the game industry. His passion for polished and creatively interesting experiences has led him towards a diverse background of projects. He has shipped numerous titles on a variety of platforms including mobile, console, PC, web, VR, and location based entertainment. His belief is that the best ability is…
Adjunct Faculty
James Fujii
Born in Gardena, California, James Fujii attended Santa Barbara City College majoring in Biology. During his time in college, James Fujii found his passion for Animation and decided to change majors. He attended CalArts and graduated from the Character Animation Program in 1983 with a BFA degree. In 1984, Fujii started his first union job…
Adjunct Faculty
Hilary Schmidt McCarthy
Hilary McCarthy is a contemporary figurative painter living in Laguna Beach. She is currently adjunct faculty in the Fine Arts Department at Laguna College of Art + Design. Prior to that she lived in NYC for 18 years. Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries in the United States and Europe. She received her…
Adjunct Faculty
Zhang Zeyan
Adjunct Faculty
Betty Shelton
Betty Shelton is an accomplished and award-winning artist whose work has been exhibited extensively in the United States. Betty has received numerous painting and drawing awards throughout her artistic career, most notably she has been a finalist in the Art Renewal Center Salon, and the 6th Annual TAPPED at the Manifest Gallery. She has shown…
Adjunct Faculty
Kathy Zuniga
Adjunct Faculty
Eric Stoner
Adjunct Faculty
Allan Huang
Adjunct Faculty
Tim Szabo
Tim is an art director, visual development artist, and background designer with over 25 years of experience in the animation industry. He received a BA in Studio Art from St. Olaf College and also attended the Kansas City Art Institute. Tim started out as a traditional animator in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles in…
Adjunct Faculty
James Thistlethwaite
Adjunct Faculty
Madeline Humphrey
Adjunct Faculty
Joe Weatherly
Adjunct Faculty
Daniel Von der Ahe
Daniel Von der Ahe is a writer/illustrator and teacher living in San Juan Capistrano. He trained at the Florence Academy of Art and has worked as a classical portrait artist, illustrator, and visual development artist for animation where he discovered a love for story and writing. He teaches figure drawing, color and painting in any…
Adjunct Faculty
Debra Isaac
Debra Isaac is a Visual Artist, Animator, and the Founder of houdini.school. She loves community building, hosts Houdini Battle, and co-organizes The Los Angeles Houdini User Group (LAHUG). She has over 10 years of experience teaching Houdini. She is passionate about animation, scientific visualization, motion graphics, and emerging technologies. Her clients have included Intel, Mattel,…
Chair of Graphic Design + Digital Media
Dana Herkelrath
Dana Herkelrath is the Chair of the undergraduate Graphic Design + Digital Media Department and a Professor of Visual Communication Design. Dana brings more than 25 years of experience as a designer in Brand Identity, Packaging, Environmental Graphic Design, Merchandising, Marketing and Design Consulting. Her background includes working with clients in entertainment, medicine, urban community…
Adjunct Faculty
Daniel Adoff
Daniel is a multifaceted artist with expertise in illustration, graphic design, brand strategy, apparel design, and art direction. He has worked with several brands that share this same vision of a better world, such as: Access Support Network of San Luis Obispo, Whalebird Kombucha, Samabzon, HyperIce, Earnest Eats, Coromega, and Arctic Zero. He holds a…
Adjunct Faculty
Siobhan Gallagher
Siobhán Gallagher is a visual storyteller illustrating the nuances of life through humor, pop culture references, and sly observations from a feminist perspective. She is the author of Full of Myself: A Graphic Memoir About Body Image (2024) and In a Daze Work: A Pick-Your-Path Journey Through the Daily Grind (2017). She has illustrated and…
Adjunct Faculty
Trevor Giove
Trevor Giove is currently designing worlds as a Graphic Designer for Magic the Gathering at Wizards of the Coast. He is part of the Packaging and Product team that creates the packaging look and feel and visual identities for upcoming card sets. He has previously worked as a Graphic Designer at CallisonRTKL and Seattle Opera…
Adjunct Faculty
Justin Jones
Justin Jones is a Product/Motion Designer, Illustrator, Content Creator and Voice Actor based out of Orange County, CA. Justin has been in the design industry for over 10 years working for multiple design agencies and product companies. Throughout his career he has had the privilege to help create digital products and experiences for such companies…
Associate Professor
Dan Jensen
Dan Jensen leads the Graphic Design department in the areas of motion, 3D, experiential design and programming. His professional work is focused in motion design and digital art. Dan's clients have included Igloo, Nvidia, Hurley, Barton Perreira, RVCA, Stussy, Union Bindings Co, Adidas, Champs, Footlocker, Capitol Records, Warner Brother Records. Previously, Dan was the creative…
Adjunct Faculty
Emily Atwood
Emily Atwood is a Graphic and Type Designer who specializes in identity, campaign, type design, editorial and digital work. She is a senior designer at Order, a New York-based design office specializing in brand identity, publication, signage and wayfinding design. EmilyAos career includes her role as a Senior Designer at Pentagram Design in New York…
Adjunct Faculty
Gong Cheng
Gong Cheng is an experienced sports photojournalist and visual artist who began his professional career in 1996, focusing on live music performances and sports events. Over the past two decades, he has photographed the summer and winter Olympic Games, Asian Games, FIFA World Cups, Formula One, NBA China Games, and an extensive range of international…
Adjunct Faculty
Winston Elliott
Winston Elliott is a Senior Designer for Taco Bell Corporation, part of Yum! Brands inc. He leads creative projects for the in-house agency, Taco Bell Design. Winston's design solutions have helped to shift and elevate the brand's position. He leads teams in high-profile projects and global campaigns. His projects have included The Bell hotel and…
Adjunct Faculty
Mollie Engel
Mollie Engel is Vice President of Design and Development for Shawmut Corporation, a 106 year-old textile company for Automotive, Footwear, and Medical industries, with a Design studio in Laguna Beach, California. Mollie is an experienced Designer and Design Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Automotive Industry and bringing Sustainable Design solutions to…
Adjunct Faculty
Daniel Parker
Daniel Parker is a designer from Lake Forest, CA. He began his design education at LCAD, and after graduating, he entered the action sports industry. Since then, he has had the opportunity to work with well-known brands including Vissla, World Surf League, Electric Eyewear, and Volcom. He is currently an apparel graphic designer at Vissla.
Adjunct Faculty
Amber Miller
Amber Miller is a Graphic Designer at Nike working in Global Sports Apparel on Basketball uniforms for the NBA and WNBA. Amber was born and raised in Southern California and attended Laguna College of Art + Design where she received a BFA in Design + Digital Media with an emphasis in Action Sports. Since graduating,…
Adjunct Faculty
Isabelle Gioffredi
Isabelle Gioffredi is a designer at Ten Speed Press/Penguin Random House. She works closely with authors to bring their ideas to life in book form. On top of designing the cover and interior of books, she also hires and art directs photographers, stylists, and illustrators. She has worked with and managed high profile authors such…
Adjunct Faculty
Austin Haynes
Austin Haynes is a dedicated and impassioned Illustrator and Graphic Designer, proficient in drawing and design with a focus on creating work digitally in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. He is the Creative Director at the Orange County based branding agency, Dyno Creative, and an Adjunct Faculty for LCAD Graphic Design + Digital Media (GD+DM) and…
Adjunct Faculty
Justin Jung
Justin Jung is a Director and Cinematographer based in Southern California. He has spent the past ten years traveling worldwide, capturing breathtaking videos, and directing campaign and documentary projects. Jung's work combines visual elements inspired by his love for nature and open landscapes. His work features top-action sports athletes, branded campaigns, lifestyle, documentaries, technical product…
Adjunct Faculty
Eric Liss
Eric Liss is a 3D generalist, motion designer, commercial editor/colorist and sound designer. Eric leads Motion/Division where his client projects include Art Direction, Motion Graphics, 3D, Augmented Reality, Sound Design and Audio Scores. His experience includes 10 years at FUSE Interactive. Throughout his career he's had the opportunity to work with global brands such as…
Adjunct Faculty
Julian Lozano
Julian Lozano is a Senior Visual Designer located in Los Angeles. Presently, he is part of the talented team at Huge, Inc., where he gets the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with major tech giants like Google, Ticketmaster, and LG. Together, they strive to create improved user experiences that will shape the future of design. Having…
Adjunct Faculty
Dan Marriner
Dan is the Lead Men's Designer for prAna Living, part of the Outdoor Lifestyle industry. He is a dedicated steward of sustainability and is part of a positive progression towards sustainability and circularity in the apparel industry. Growing up in Laguna, Dan made an early connection to the Ocean and surrounding hills. Surfing, Skateboarding and…
Adjunct Faculty
Jody Weisberg
Jody began his career as a graphic designer working with up-and-coming natural food brands where he quickly grew into a respected designer and brand/marketing leader with an appetite for helping emerging brands grow. His passion for the natural foods industry led him to start his own creative agency, The Village, founded in 2011, focused on…
Adjunct Faculty
Lori Werstein
Born near Los Angeles Lori Werstein immersed herself in the art, design and diversity of the area. Attending Art Center College & Pasadena City College while in high school - studying painting, printing, 2D design, as well as model drawing. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Art at CSULB, later attending Otis College of Art…
Adjunct Faculty
Linnea Motts
Adjunct Faculty
Brandy Hwang
Brandy Hwang is a graduate from the Laguna College of Art + Design with a BFA in Game Art. She has a specialty in concept and visual development with an emphasis in Environment Design. Residing in Los Angeles, Brandy has been honing in on her skills as a 2D and 3D concept artist with freelancing…
Adjunct Faculty
Dawnson Chen
Dawnson Chen has been working as an Environment Artist for over a decade in the video games industry. Currently he works at Blizzard on World of Warcraft as a Dungeon artist, his focus is on modeling and texturing Dungeons, Raid and any architecture found in the world. Before Blizzard, he was working on stylized mobile…
Adjunct Faculty
Stephen Carter
Stephen Carter is a digital artist and fine artist with over 20+ years of designing experience in the gaming industry, working at companies like Bally’s, Gamesys and Konami in the areas of character design, environment, props and more. He has a passion for Gouache and Oil painting, portraits and plein Air. His creative journey began…
Adjunct Faculty
Matt Frantz
Matt Frantz is an artist, multimedia designer, photographer, and educator based in Southern California. He has decades of experience teaching art and design classes at multiple state and private colleges, serving as Digital Foundations Coordinator and Assistant Chair of Graphic Design + Digital Media. His visual work has appeared in multiple publications and galleries, and…
Adjunct Faculty
Angelica Silva
Angelica Silva is a VFX Artist on Overwatch, specializing in vibrant, playful, and stylized effects. After graduating from LCAD in 2020 with a focus in concept art, she pivoted into real-time visual effects two years later, blending her background in visual development with dynamic game art. Angelica is excited to share her industry experience and…
Adjunct Faculty
Travis Reid
Travis Reid is a former-AAA-game-programmer-turned-educator and indie game designer. He previously worked on mobile games at Blizzard and EA, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of video game development classes at LCAD and UC-Irvine, where he's also the faculty advisor for the Video Game Development Club. His indie game, are we good , was…
Adjunct Faculty
Kristy Doan
While going to LCAD I was able to land my first gig in the industry before even graduating. Now almost six years later I've worked on and shipped a variety of different titles. From AAA games like World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and Valorant to smaller games like Wildgate, Outerworlds 2, and Wreck Runners.
Adjunct Faculty
Amber Ansdell
I've worked as both an Art Director and Concept Artist in the games industry for nearly a decade. As a former graduate, instructor and tutor at LCAD, I've garnered a respect and admiration for its students, faculty and overall sense of community, especially of course, within the Game Art Major. With first hand experience I'm…
Evelynn Burt
I graduated from LCAD in 2022 and started working as an outsource vfx artist at Supergenius Studio. From there I worked on multiple Triple A studio games as well as Indie games.
Amanda Lake
Amanda Lake is an art director and illustrator from Cincinnati, Ohio based in Los Angeles. First working in advertising and motion graphics, she segued to television animation in 2016. Most recently she art directed Lil Kev for BET+, and Praise Petey for Freeform. Previously she was the character design supervisor for seasons 2 & 3…
Adjunct Faculty
Leonard Lee
Leonard Lee is a Los Angeles based Character Designer in the animation industry for more than 8 years, working with studios like Sony Pictures Animation, WB Animation, Nickelodeon and more. While instructing character design and animation teams on shows like ‘Tiny Toons: Looniversity’, Leonard found a love of sharing his passion for a classic, tried…
Ed Li
Ed Li grew up in LA and is still a tourist in this city. He graduated from the ArtCenter College of Design, and is an instructor at the Concept Design Academy. He works in animation but does not animate; he's more of an architect for animated films. He is currently a Visual Development Artist at…
Chhun Tang
As a creator and builder, Chhun Tang brings ideas to life with both vision and structure. He crafts brand identities, content, and experiences that are rooted in purpose and thoughtfully executed, whether designing a brand from scratch, directing creative across global campaigns, or leading cultural initiatives. He builds the systems, teams, and environments that bring…
Adjunct Faculty
Claire Fingerhut
Claire Fingerhut is a technical game designer with a strong focus on game feel, mechanic design, and artistic experiences. In her designs, Claire strives for satisfying and responsive tactility, which she believes is an essential part of guiding players into a flow state. With a strong background in game art and collaboration and 3 years…
Adjunct Faculty
Jack Hillin
Jack Hillin is a Visual Development Artist with recent roles as Lead Character Designer and Lead Colorist at Warner Bros. Discovery. His recent contributions include work on animated projects Get Jiro and Watchmen Part 1 & 2. Jack earned a degree in Illustration with a focus on Entertainment from ArtCenter College of Design, graduating in…
Adjunct Faculty
Izzy Hoover
Mentor
Scott Hwang
Mai
Licheng
Licheng (Li) Mai became a fulltime Freelance Artist in January of 2021, and shortly after, graduated in LCAD's class of 2021 with a major in Game art focused on 2D Conceptual art. Most of Li's work is one on one with clients, adapting and problem solving their conceptual ideas into reality. Outside of art hours,…
Adjunct Faculty
Bryant Koshu
Bryant Koshu is a Senior Concept Artist with a rich and diverse background in the field of concept art and design. Currently, he is applying his expertise at Deviation Games, where he has served since April 2023. Prior to this, he had the privilege of instructing as a Hard Surface instructor at Laguna College of…
Adjunct Faculty
Mark Castanon
Mark has been working professionally for the past 15 years, primarily in game development, with projects in film, theme park design, and illustration. He has a thorough understanding of each phase of a professional concept artist's design process, from initial thumbnail sketching to final delivery. He aims to share and leverage his extensive experience to…
Adjunct Faculty
Gary Musgrave
Gary Musgrave is a Southern California-based problem-solver, illustrator, designer, and educator with both a BFA from the Art Center College of Design and an MFA in Illustration from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). With 15 years of professional commercial experience, his work spans editorial illustration, branding, public art, and design, showcasing his versatility and…
Adjunct Faculty
Hikari Oishi
Hikari Oishi is a Laguna College of Art and Design Game Art BFA alumni and a technical artist working in the game development industry. She attended Rio Hondo College for her AS in Animation and Studio Arts before achieving her BFA in Game Art from Laguna College of Art and Design. She is currently working…
Adjunct Faculty
Andrew Erickson
Andrew is a Concept Artist at Obsidian Entertainment and has worked in the video game industry for nearly a decade. He has contributed to shipped titles such as Overwatch, Pillars of Eternity, Avowed, and The Outer Worlds 2, among others. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with studios including Blizzard, Obsidian, Adult Swim, Mattel, Crayola,…
Adjunct Faculty
Russell Chong
Russell G. Chong has been a production artist for 38 years and has worked in animation, feature animation, and live-action. Some of his notable accomplishments include Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2006-2013) as a general concept artist, Emmy Award winning, Batman: The Animated Series (1990-1995) as a background designer and painter, HBO’s Spawn (1997-1999) (Emmy…
Assistant Professor of Game Development
Rana Jahani
Rana Jahani is a game designer, UX researcher, and educator with a strong background in both academia and industry. She served as an Adjunct Lecturer at Northeastern University, where she designed and taught courses in game design, level design, procedural content generation for games, and XR applications. With a focus on immersive storytelling, user experience,…
Adjunct Faculty
Rachel Nartia
Rachel Nartia is a talent acquisition and program management professional with over a decade of experience at established animation & VFX studios, including Pixar, DreamWorks/PDI, Lucasfilm/ILM, and Netflix Animation. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master of Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma,…
Adjunct Faculty
Heather Wright
Heather Wright is a UX Designer and UI Artist with a passion for games as an art medium. She has worked in both mobile and console game development since her graduation from LCAD, where she received a BFA in Game Art. In her time at LCAD, she also founded the Game Development Club, and won…
Edith Adame
Edith is a 2D Animator and Illustrator based in So-Cal. Since graduating from LCAD in 2022 with her BFA in Animation, she has gone on to work with studios as a 2D Animator and Clean-Up Artist on a variety of projects, ranging from shorts films and trailers to proof-of-concept pieces. Her work includes projects for…
Alla Bartoshchuk
Alla Bartoshchuk is a Ukrainian-born American artist and educator based in Southern California. She earned her BFA in Painting from Memphis College of Art in 2010 and her MFA in Painting from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2013. Alla maintains an active studio practice alongside a robust teaching career. Her work has been…
Olivia Burkhart
Olivia is a veteran Game Producer with numerous years of production experience across all disciplines of the development pipeline from low level engine dev, gameplay, art and everything in between. She spent the early years of her career as a Technical Producer in Blizzard's Incubation Department, and eventually moved to Obsidian Entertainment where she currently…
Khara Cloutier
Khara Cloutier is an artist and educator who teaches typography at Laguna College of Art + Design and holds an MFA in Graphic Design from California State University, Long Beach. Her work has been exhibited at Torrance Art Museum, A+D Museum, Lili Lakich Neon Studio and Gallery Azul. She is the author and photographer of…
Jessica Deseo
Jessica Deseo is an independent creative with a background in graphic design. She has worked in all aspects of design, from the studio to in-house design, packaging, and, for the past eight years, teaching packaging design at ArtCenter College of Design. There, she has been a strong advocate for sustainable practices in the packaging curriculum,…
Adjunct Faculty
Christina Drake
Christina Drake is a dedicated faculty member at the Laguna College of Art and Design, where she specializes in talent acquisition, business strategy, and leadership development within the creative industries. With over a decade of experience, her professional journey spans executive administration, human resources, and strategic planning, underlined by a kindness-centric approach to professional growth…
Kayley Jane Dykman
Kayley Jane (b. 2000) is a figurative painter from Southern California. In 2023, she graduated from Laguna College of Art and Design with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Art History. Since then, she has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine’s 21 Under 31: Young Artists to Collect Now, received multiple…
Q Gourki
Kiumars "Q" Gourki is a Creative Director, Art Director, and Designer with 25+ years of experience building brands and leading campaigns at top agencies including Fallon Worldwide, Colle McVoy, RPA, and Vitro, for clients like BMW, Best Buy, Starbucks, Honda, United Airlines, Red Wing Shoes, MGM Resorts, and Asics. For the past decade he has…
Adjunct Faculty
Grace Hendricks
Grace Hendricks works as both a director and a cameraperson in both stop motion animation and live-action filmmaking. In stop motion, she has directed and animated short videos for brands, including Delta Airlines, Coalatree, and Roam Luggage, and she has been a part of the camera and animation departments on shoots for Mattel, Sanrio, Pampers,…
Georgia Muller
With the art and entertainment industry continuing to evolve, Georgia Muller has grown as an artist and adapted with it. Her focus, specifically with fabrication and design, is meant to help students grow as entrepreneurs and creative directors, putting them at the helm of projects that could range from single instances of masterwork to full…
James Neely
Tom Neely is an artist living in Los Angeles. He is the illustrator of NY Times Best-seller The Last Book On The Left! But before that he was best known for his own creations: the cult-hit indie comic book Henry & Glenn Forever; as well as the Image Comics series The Humans. Neely's art has…
Joanne Park
Joanne Park is an art historian who loves talking about art. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychological Services from Northwestern University, followed by a Master's Degree in Public Health from UCLA. She has been teaching a myriad of classes at the high school level since 2002, and has also taught as an adjunct professor…
Mikael Sebag
Mikael D. Sebag (BA, MA, MA, MS) is a Ph.D. candidate in Informatics at the University of California, Irvine where he studies the history and design of magic systems in fantasy games. He has presented his game studies research at numerous academic conferences including the History of Games conference, Generation Analog, and the conferences of…
Jesse Tise
Jesse Tise is an LA-based, multi-disciplinary artist who graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design with a BFA in Illustration Design. Freelance editorial clients include Strategic Insight, The New York Times, BOOM! Comics, and Cricket Media. After working as an art instructor teaching adults with developmental disabilities in the non-profit sector, he transitioned…
Brittney Williams
Brittney Leeanne Williams (b. 1990, Pasadena, CA) is a Los Angeles-based artist. She studied at the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts as well as the Art Institute of Chicago. Williams was the inaugural artist for the Hilma af Klint Center Artist-in-Residence program in Adelsö, Sweden. She has had solo exhibitions at Alexander…
Mentor
Grant Hier
Grant Hier is an author, musician, painter, muti-media artist, and educator. In 2018 he was appointed as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Anaheim. Other literary honors include Prize Americana, the Nancy Dew Taylor Prize, and the Kick Prize. Books include Untended Garden, The Difference Between, Similitude, and California Continuum. His poetry, fiction, and essays are…
Mentor
Shenho Hshieh
Shenho Hshieh is an American fine artist and illustrator who primarily works in wet media such as acrylic ink and watercolor. His drawings and paintings are representational narratives, influenced by the Expressionists and genre art. Shenho combines the abstract and literal to depict scenes of himself and associated individuals in their routine privacy. After receiving…
Mentor
Dan Nguyen
Dan Nguyen is a figurative realist painter born and raised in Vietnam. In 2016, Dan earned her BFA in Fashion Merchandising from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. After graduating from Fashion school, she wanted to explore another passion: painting. In 2020, Dan earned her MFA in Painting from Laguna College of…
Mentor
Pegah Samaie
Pegah Samaie, an Amerian_Iranian realistic artist, who was born and grew up in Iran, and now, she lives in U.S. Samaie’s art represents her freedom. Today, given the power of liberty she has in U.S., she reflects on women’s identity, religion, and politics and how those silos empower women to define their freedom. Her paintings…
Mentor
Sandra Sanchez
Sandra Sanchez is a Southern California-based artist specializing in realistic portraiture, known for work that emphasizes sensitivity, nuance, and vitality. Her paintings aim to capture not only likeness, but the psychological presence and quiet humanity of her subjects. Her interest in visual storytelling began early, shaped by childhood visits to the Getty Museum and a…
Adjunct Faculty
Suzanne Shifflett
Suzanne M. Shifflett has a bachelors in sculpture from Maine Collage of Art, and a masters in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design. She has shown work in four different museums across the United States, Oceanside Museum of Art, Laguna Museum of Art, Bakersfield Museum of Art, and The Detroit Museum of Modern…